[Donna Salmon]

I own a 1984 240 DL wagon. In the winter I am currently using four Gslavid 185/70/14 snows on 14" steel wheels. I wish to replace these tires and contacted the Tirerack.com. They suggested I use Bridgestone WS-50's Blizzaks 205/65QR/15 on 15" wheels. Will this combination be compatible with my wagon?<P>TIA<P>Sincerely,<P>donna

 

[towerymt]

205/65/15 should fit the wagon, but in my opinion it's a poor choice of size. For snow tires, the general rule is to use a narrow tire so it will cut through better. The wider the tire, the easier it is for the car to float above the snow (same deal with rain). If I were you, I'd stick with the wheels you have, and keep using the same size. 185/75/14 or 185/80/14 is actually closer to the original size that the wagon had (which was 185R14), but 185/70/14 is just fine (it was the stock size for the sedans). I plan to use 185/70/14 snow tires on the factory steel wheels for my 240 sedan this year.<P>Good luck.<P>

 

[Donna Salmon]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by towerymt:<BR><B>205/65/15 should fit the wagon, but in my opinion it's a poor choice of size. For snow tires, the general rule is to use a narrow tire so it will cut through better. The wider the tire, the easier it is for the car to float above the snow (same deal with rain). If I were you, I'd stick with the wheels you have, and keep using the same size. 185/75/14 or 185/80/14 is actually closer to the original size that the wagon had (which was 185R14), but 185/70/14 is just fine (it was the stock size for the sedans). I plan to use 185/70/14 snow tires on the factory steel wheels for my 240 sedan this year.<P>Good luck.<P></B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Mike, <P>Thanks for your reply. When we first got our wagon in 1984 it had Dunlop tires on it. After 14,000 miles Volvo had a recall of their wagons because someone at the factory put ordinary passenger car tires on the wagons and they were falling apart. Mine was replaced by a Michelin reinforced tire they recommended for the wagon.<P>Was wondering why The Tire Rack would only recommended this particular tire in that size. Might have something to do with the reliability of the tire on a wagon?<P>Just a thought.<P>Thanks again.<P>jon<BR> <P>